Aunt organizes blood drive to honor nephew struck by car

Thursday

Jul 25, 2013 at 4:35 PM

Andrew Longshore's birthday would have been July 21. The West Henderson High graduate was supposed to turn 28.

By JOEY MILLWOODTimes-News Staff Writer

Andrew Longshore's birthday would have been July 21. The West Henderson High graduate was supposed to turn 28 years old. Instead of celebrating their loved one's birthday, Longshore's family is celebrating his life. Longshore was struck by a car while crossing a road in Randolph, N.J. on Jan. 8. His aunt, Suzanne Davis, has decided to honor her nephew by organizing a blood drive through the American Red Cross. Friends, family and others interested in donating can sign up on a Facebook page created for the drive and donate at any Red Cross colelction event. Organizing the blood drive was an emotional decision for Davis on many levels. Longshore was an advocate for donating blood. He gave blood frequently, Davis said. Davis' brother is also fighting esophageal cancer and has had three blood transfusions. And finally, Davis had a near-fatal ectopic pregnancy. A blood transfusion saved her life. A drive to honor her nephew's life made sense, she said.After graduating from West in 2003, Longshore went to college and lived in Charlotte before moving to Randolph. “He would've loved (the blood drive),” Davis said. “It's something all his friends can do. It's something they can do no matter where they're at.”To organize the drive, which takes place from now until the end of August, Davis created the Facebook page “In Memory of Andrew Longshore – American Red Cross Blood Drive.”This month, 22 members of the page have signed up to give blood. Local blood drives are listed at redcrossblood.org. For Davis, whose mother raised Longshore in their Hendersonville home, just honoring him in any way helps emotionally. “It helps me in grieving for him to feel like I'm doing something worthwhile,” she said. Reach Millwood at 828-694-7881 or at joey.millwood@blueridgenow.com.